Disassemble, clean and dry the phone

Photo 1: Scrub off the crud

Dip the toothbrush
into the
cleaning solution
and gently scrub
the soda residue
from the push
buttons and the
circuit board.

Photo 2: Dry off the parts

Shoot compressed
air into the
earphone jacks,
mechanical
switches and all
over the circuit
board to remove
excess water.

Nobody knows who spilled the soda on the
portable phone. But now the buttons are all
gummed up and you can’t use it. You may
have to pitch the phone and buy a new one.
But first, here’s how to clean a phone and maybe save it from the recycling center.

Remove the batteries and any screws inside
the battery compartment. Check for other
screws holding the case together and remove
them, too. Then use a butter knife to pry open
the case.

Remove the entire circuit board and the silicone
push buttons. Cover the speaker, microphone,
earpiece and any mechanical switches
with duct tape to keep them dry. Then clean
all the parts with water/dishwashing detergent
solution and a soft toothbrush (Photo 1).

Once you get the crud off, rinse the parts
with lukewarm tap water. Blow off the excess
water with compressed air (Photo 2). Remove
the tape and store the circuit board and push
buttons in a bag of rice for a few days. Then
reassemble and try making a call. If cleaning the phone has worked,
you just saved yourself some bucks. If not,
you’re just out a little time.